


and here's to new beginnings (that aren't so new)

by jaylove



Series: matters of the heart [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, If you squint I mean, implications of a couple other ships that aren't actually in it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-11 11:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11147475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaylove/pseuds/jaylove
Summary: (Sequel/Follow Up to here's to movin' on)Fitz and Skye haven't had a movie night in months, Skye's type has changed, and Fitz is feeling bolder than normal.Until he remembers how little escapes her notice, that is.





	and here's to new beginnings (that aren't so new)

The evening has settled into its peaceful point. There's no background noise of activities, no agents passing through the communal areas, and no work leaving them pushed for time. Fitz leans on one arm of the couch, Skye nestled into the center just a few inches from him. As she searches through Netflix (which he's fairly certain she does not have  _legally_ ) on her laptop for their next movie, they swap comments on the one they'd just watched. It had been so long since their last movie night, they'd almost forgotten their old pattern. (Always starting with some kind of documentary to settle their minds, then onto something with some action and drama, usually followed by a horror movie, and so on until they called it quits.) An easy comfort comes from the familiarity. Fitz isn't sure why they didn't pick the tradition up again sooner, actually. 

He really only has one problem right now. (Well - other than the fact his side is a little cold because she isn't sitting as close anymore.)  
  
"Who the bloody hell keeps texting you?" Skye's phone is on the couch seat beside her, and while he'd scarcely noticed it going off during the movie, it's starting to get on his nerves now. If it were anything of real importance, whoever it was would have just  _called_ by now. (Everyone knows Skye has a standing policy that calls are used to denote urgency.) Every few minutes, the device lets out another noise to inform her of another text. She's been very pointedly ignoring the thing - he hadn't even seen her check who it was.   
  
Even now, she doesn't bother paying any attention to it, but he can't miss the way her expression sours. Skye nestles herself further into the couch without removing her eyes from her laptop screen. She's never been anything less than impressively stubborn. "Trip," her tone indicates a lot more annoyance than the name would usually call for. As if on cue, another text comes in, and she shoots the phone a scathing look. Fitz is fairly certain she's only a few messages from throwing the thing down the garbage disposal. He nudges her knee to get her attention again, raising his eyebrows to convey his confusion once her eyes are on him. Skye huffs, abandoning her search in favor of crossing her arms, twisting to face him better. "Don't get me wrong - he's a great friend and I adore him, but I am  _really_ going to kick his ass if he gives me one more reason to think he's getting feelings for me." She can't tell, but her words make his stomach drop through the floor. Fitz can't blame Trip of course, because he sometimes wonders why  _more_ people aren't falling at Skye's feet, but he certainly doesn't have to like it. Even if he was kind of suspecting it himself.

His expression must convey his agreement, since she continues more calmly. "I just don't want him to get attached to me as anything more than a friend. It's hard to convey that I'm not interested - I am  _so_ over the Alpha Male type, thank-you-very-much - because he isn't really flirting." She sighs as her eyebrows pull together with concern. "Honestly? I kind of wish he and Simmons would go back to giving each other the eyes so maybe - "   
  
It's comedic, the look on her face as she clamps her lips together sharply, realizing what she was saying a moment too late. Her eyes widen unreasonably large, one hand slapping over her mouth in horror. He actually has to fight not to start laughing, her expression is so funny. Hand still close enough to mostly hide her mouth, she quickly starts to apologize, watching him with those saucer-sized eyes. "Oh, Fitz, I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking and I just. Yeah." Fitz can see the way she swallows thickly, knows her well enough to know she must be biting her lip now. (An image he quickly has to shove back out of his mind because she looks so  _cute_ when she does it. And because it's a quirk he picked up from her at some point.) 

He's still trying to keep it together when he speaks. It probably looks to her as though he's trying not to show he's hurt, which just makes it that much harder to keep his shoulders from shaking. When was the last time he wanted to laugh this badly? "Sorry for what - I mean, personally, the looks they used to give each other bordered on disgustingly obvious, so I could live without that. But at least then it might be a mutual interest." In the back of his mind, he realizes he's staring too pointedly at her as he adds one final bit. "That's what really matters, in the end." It is one daring hint. One he normally wouldn't even consider dropping. He feels daring that night, though, for any number of reasons. The companionable ease of spending time with her. The fact she  _just_ said she wasn't into that type anymore. (Because if she isn't interested in guys like Ward and Trip now, that insinuated a slightly better chance for him.) The way she seemed so comfortable around him.

Of course, there was always the chance he could ruin that comfortableness. He really didn't want that. Catch 24.  
  
Skye lowers her hand slowly, starting to look less horrified and more confused. More accurately, at least from the way her eyes narrow and her lips purse, she looks suspicious. He's a few seconds from getting nervous when she starts in on him. "Uh, don't play dumb with me Leo Fitz." Her arms cross over her chest again, while she tries to stare him down. "Simmons and I  _talk_. Sure, she hasn't told me exactly what went down 20,000 leagues beneath the sea, but I got the general impression that you actually made a move. Albeit a bit unreciprocated. Which is really stupid, because you're a catch and - "  
  
" _Please_ tell me that wasn't a fish pun."  
  
She holds up a stern hand to silence his complaints. "And lost a lot of people a lot of money, I'm sure. But don't act like I don't know how you feel about her." Her brown eyes soften, and she reaches out to give his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I get that you're, ya know, trying to move on, and I'm beyond proud of you for that, but you don't have to act like you're okay seeing her flirt with someone."

Fitz is finding himself struggling not to smirk now. He raises an eyebrow in what he hopes is a believably incredulous look, resting a hand on her outstretched arm. There's something emboldening in the fact she hasn't moved her own hand yet. "You're right." Skye blinks, clearly surprised - and pleased - that he's not arguing with her. That, he's sure, will change by the time she's heard the rest of it. "I _did_ tell Simmons that I had feelings for her. But I was wrong, because I don't, and probably never have. You can be proud of the fact we actually talked about that." He allows himself a pleased smile. Both for managing to say his piece without stumbling or faltering, and for resisting making a fish-out-of-water joke about the way she's gaping at him.

It's her turn to flounder again for a few moments, blinking rapidly as his words process. Skye pulls her arm back to begin drumming her fingers on her knee. "But - I heard what you asked Hunter about."  
  
"Wasn't about her." He tries to ignore the uncertain churning in his stomach. Admitting that runs the risk of her pressing to know who it was about, which is something he's not sure he's ready for. Still, there's a whisper in the back of his head, telling him that there might not be a better time.   
  
Her eyebrows pull together as she starts to squint, obviously growing more confused. A small part of him is encouraged by the prospect that she must've been thinking about this a lot. Fitz has to remind himself that Skye's an analyst by nature; this is her type of thing, recognizing patterns, connecting dots, catching things in people's behavior that no one else would. Thinking about it would be a given for her, not a sign of genuine interest. "Trip said it still upsets you to think about the good stuff, though." It's clear her conviction is wavering. She phrases the statement more like a question, and starts chewing on her lip uncertainly afterward.  
  
This time, Fitz can't control his response, rolling his eyes and just managing to avoid scoffing. His hand rests on her knee - one part subconsciously, one part experimentally. Skye doesn't seem to notice. "Trip shouldn't leap to conclusions." He's practically pouting as he crosses his arms, remembering the conversation in question. "He's been around long enough that he should have known movie nights are  _our_ thing, and Simmons has never been apart of them."   
  
There's a long pause.   
  
Fitz is waiting for her response, not realizing how much time has gone by, or that her expression is quickly becoming much too careful, or that he's officially given the pattern-recognition expert a  _pattern_. "Fitz," Skye's voice is controlled enough that it manages to turn his blood cold, especially as she leans just a little bit closer. "Why did you get upset when Trip brought up our movie nights? Because I'd  _swear_ I heard from Mac that you looked really sad." He realizes now - as he sucks in one last gulp of air before he stops breathing - why she's leaning toward him. She's intimidating him and making him feel trapped. Which is, in no small part, his fault for backing himself into a corner. Fitz's mind whirls in a search for something to say. He's too late to deny having been upset, especially with the added source from Mac. And she's definitely close to connecting the dots to his implication that he's in love with  _someone._

Well, when denial won't work. Simmons did want him to ask Skye out.  
  
"You want a way to let Trip know you're not interested in him?" Fitz still isn't breathing, but he barrels ahead before she can do more than open her mouth to speak. (Probably to tell him not to switch topics.) "Then go on a date with me."

"What does that have to do with ... " Skye lets herself trail off as the realization sinks in. Above her head, he can almost imagine the connected dots lighting up bright red. It takes a lot of effort to keep himself from squeezing his eyes closed. "Oh." She says, softly, then, " _oh,_ " with more volume and intensity. He's sure his face is turning purple from lack of oxygen by now. For a while, as it continues to process, she just stares at him with huge eyes and surprise. Much longer, and Fitz is sure his chest will start to hurt from how hard his heart is beating.   
  
At first, he thinks he must be hallucinating from a rise in blood pressure, or from lack of oxygen. But it's undeniable once she leans back and starts ducking her head, trying to discretely hide her face. With her hair still up in a ponytail, it's a pointless effort. She's  _blushing_. Skye just starts blushing brighter every time she meets his eyes. In his mind, he realizes he must be gawking at her. His mind is working sluggishly to try and understand this detail. Fitz is just stuck on an endless loop of  _what the hell_ till then. Fumbling, Skye transfers her laptop to the table as she avoids his gaze. She jumps a good foot off the couch when her phone loudly informs her of a new text message. (All he can do is blink numbly at the sound.) With somewhat minimal cursing, she snatches it up and promptly turns it off, tossing it haphazardly onto the table as well.

Once that matter's settled, she folds her hands on her lap, takes a deep breath, and meets his eyes again. The blush that had started to fade comes back full force, pulling a weak scowl onto her face. She swats his arm and finally breaks him from his spell as he makes a noise of complaint. Still, Fitz can't help but stare at her in surprise still. "Stop doing that!" Barely a second passes before she's trying to glare at him, frustrated. "Stop staring at me like that, it's - " Skye seems to struggle for a while to find the words, eventually settling on, "too intense." 

He has never been a flirt - specifically, not a good one. The very notion of him managing to make Skye flustered is enough to deep fry his brain. Still, the words come spilling out before he's even realizing he's thinking them. "Sorry, pretty girls make me shut down sometimes." It's so lame, he almost cringes at his own words, internally cursing Hunter's influence. Somehow, it  _works._  Her cheeks flare even darker red. Feeling blindly behind her while trying to look anywhere but Fitz, she manages to grab a pillow, immediately pulling it over and burying her face in it. Fitz's mouth is hanging open so wide his jaw's beginning to hurt. With effort, he manages to close it and swallow thickly. "So, uh," her head lifts enough for her to look expectantly at him, "is that a yes?"

The pillow is promptly thrown at his face, but by the time he's grabbed it and put it to the side, she's following it. Skye's laughing - nervous and bubbly as her arms wrap around his neck. "Oh, please," her words are meant to be teasing, though Fitz finds himself more focused on the undertone of sincerity, "how could I refuse?" He's grinning as he hugs her back, pressing his nose into her shoulder.  
  
He's really going to hate telling Simmons she was right tomorrow. 


End file.
